1. Technical Field
This invention relates to ice makers, and more particularly to a method for preventing the formation of ice slush in a water reservoir of the ice maker.
2. Discussion
Ice makers have traditionally been susceptible to a formation of ice slush in the water reservoir thereof. Ice slush occasionally forms when the water pump of the ice maker continues to pump water through and over various internal components of the ice maker, and particularly via evaporator plates thereof, while the compressor of the ice maker is running. As the water continuously circulates over the evaporator plates of the evaporator, the water continues to drop in temperature to just less than about 32.degree. F. where it becomes what is termed in the art as "sub-cooled".
Once the water is cooled down to just below about 32.degree. F., the water will suddenly form a slush-like mixture of ice and water. This icy slush cannot be pumped by the water pump of the ice maker and thus causes the flow of water through the various components of the system to be interrupted. Prior attempts at ameliorating this build-up of icy slush in an ice maker have shown limited or inconsistent results. One such attempt has involved delaying the turn-on of the water pump after a harvest cycle in an effort to allow the evaporator plates to become super-cooled. It was thought that allowing the evaporator plates to super-cool, and then causing a brief charge of water to be distributed over the evaporator plates would provide some initial formation of ice on the evaporator plates, which would help to allow sub-cooled water to become frozen to the evaporator plates. Another attempt involved injecting fresh water into the sump when the temperature of the water in the sump became less than about 32.degree. F. As stated above, such attempts have proven only marginally successful in reducing the frequency of icy slush build-up in ice makers.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a control method for controlling and eliminating the build-up of icy slush in an ice maker which would otherwise interfere with the function of the ice maker in producing ice.
More particularly, it is the principal advantage of the present invention to provide a method for controlling the circulation of water within an ice maker in a manner to allow residual water left on the evaporator plates to freeze and form ice crystals thereon while the flow of water through the various components of the ice maker has been interrupted.
It is yet another object of the present invention to controllably interrupt the flow of water through the various components of an ice maker for a predetermined period of time, thereby allowing residual water residing on the evaporator plates of the evaporator of the ice maker to freeze and form ice crystals thereon.
It is still another object of the present invention to restart the water pump of the ice maker only after a predetermined period of time has elapsed in which the water pump of the ice maker has been turned-off, such that water in the ice maker (i.e., water at or near 32.degree. F.) will freeze to the ice crystals formed on the evaporator plates. When ice crystals are present, circulating water cannot sub-cool to below about 32.degree. F. because any such water will quickly freeze to the ice crystals formed on the evaporator plates, thus preventing the formation of an icy slush in the water reservoir of the ice maker.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method for eliminating the formation of icy slush in the water reservoir of an ice maker without adding expensive equipment to an ice maker, and to make use of existing components of the ice maker to carry out the method of the present invention.